Would you sell your vote?

[Roger Wilco]

This article made me think: What would your price be, if there is any?

[for the purpose of this poll assume there's no secret ballot, and selling your vote is legal, or at least so common you're confident there won't be any consequences for you; and I'm making the poll without votes being public, so please be honest]

Personally, I don't know, I would have a really, really hard time voting for a party I despise, but I can't say I wouldn't have any price, but probably a price that would be too high for anyone to reasonably pay to get my vote (somewhere in the five figures maybe).

 

[6079SmithW]

I'd sell my vote if the candidate/party bribing me promised to pay off my college loan debt. So, not a set number but whatever my debt would be at the time.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Doubtful ... as just seems weird to me. Plus I doubt my vote would affect the outcome of a national election here.

 

[Starkers]

I guess in some respects we often do choose to sell our vote, which party will I be better off under. There's an opinion piece doing the rounds that suggest when the Scottish independance vote is undertaken, that a large proportion of people might vote yes if it can be proven they'll be just £500 better off a year under independance!

As for the specific question, I'm between don't know and over $1000, it's certainly not something I'd sell cheaply, I'm just not sure I'd sell it at all!

 

[Kirkman1987]

Sure....to the party I was going to vote for regardless.

Seriously though, Liberty is a precious thing. If the bribery was widespread, I don't think I would participate. If it was just me, I'd sell for over a 1000.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Of course. I would sell my vote for whatever price, and then vote the way I wanted in the first place. Take the money of the people who are trying to buy your vote, then screw them anyway. Sounds like a win-win to me, and the best way to discourage the purchase of voters.

(Of course, that's a bit dangerous if the ballot is not secret.)

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I don't think I'd let someone pay me to influence my vote. However, I may see how much the side I support is willing to offer me for it.

 

[Australis]

Nope, never would.

 

[Starkers]

Nope, never would.

Not even for...one million dollars!

 

[Australis]

Ooooooooooooooooooooo........... you're a bad, bad man...

 

[SmoothieX]

Sure I would, I'm cheap and have low morals.

 

[Starkers]

Ooooooooooooooooooooo........... you're a bad, bad man...

Insert evil cackle here...

 

[marksound]

Some people already have.

 

[Ood Sigma]

There is no amount of money that the party I'm not voting for could pay me to change my vote to them. I have strong opinions and I couldn't in good conscience vote for that party.

If I were on the fence, or didn't care, then I might be inclined to do so.

 

[SmoothieX]

I'm not looking forward to next Tuesday.

 

[Captain Ice]

Depends on how many zeros are involved. I'd consider it at $10,000 and probably do it at $100,000

 

[RandyS]

Nope, never would.

Not even for...one million dollars!

Meh. A million doesn't go as far as it used to. I wouldn't sell mine for less than twenty. Remember, the candidates are RICH. You might as well cash in big, and it's not like these guys can't afford it.

 

[auntiehill]

I have a far too developed sense of shame to do it. Plus, I'm far too stubborn, and too fond of my ethical superiority. (hee hee)

But, seriously, I'd have to be pretty damn financially desperate to consider something like that. It goes against everything I value.

 

[MacLeod]

WHen you start talking millions or billions I suspect many of us would be tempted to take the money. But what about selling your vote for something other than money?

for example medical treatment for a seriously ill member of your family?

 

[Holdfast]

Absolutely I would, in theory. I don't see a moral difference between choosing between two options based on how they impact my life (what I already do) and choosing between two options based on, yes, how they impact my life (what is being proposed).

The value I would assign to my vote would essentially be a curve, dependent on a) the negative impact on my life of the party I'm paid to vote for and b) the likelihood of them winning anyway. Big negative impact plus knife-edge election equals very high value to my vote. Low negative impact (or positive impact) plus a foregone conclusion election anyway would make for a low value.

Even in a knife-edge election, I wouldn't consider it worth millions/billions; a realistic value in a knife-edge election where my vote really mattered would probably pitch the value of my vote at around £50k. It's simply not going to be worth more, given the number of votes that would need to be bought and the average amount of money parties have. I'd definitely strongly consider selling at that price. In a bog standard election, under the current electoral system where I live in a very safe constituency for one of the major parties, I'd actually rate my vote's realistic market value at about £500-1k. I'm not certain I'd sell at that price, but I'd consider it. It's a fiction to suggest votes aren't already indirectly bought, so I don't see a problem with it being more explicit.